A mixed martial arts fighter from the South Coast is the new Eternal Lightweight Champion of Australia.
Moruya’s Blake Donnelly, who specialises in boxing and wrestling, took down defending champion David Martinez in three rounds in the octogon at the Gold Coast on Saturday night (March 18) before Martinez threw in the towel before the start of the fourth round.
The 27-year-old who was born and raised on the South Coast but now lives in Canberra, dominated his opponent in the biggest fight of his career.
Getting toward the pointy-end of his career, Donnelly admitted he puts in a good amount of time preparing for each opponent, as the next two or three fights could easily result in him breaking into the international leagues such as the UFC.
“I had to drop a bit of weight heading into the fight so was a little grumpy but other than that I felt good and fit,” Donnelly said.
“There was more pressure going into this one but each fight is different and you have a different game plan depending on who you’re fighting,” he said.
“I knew Martinez was a strong wrestler, who ducks under punches and looks to take opponents to the floor and punish them on the ground.
“My strategy heading into this particular fight was to stick to my boxing, move around, and not let him grab a hold of me, and use my reach.”
That strategy paid off with the Canberra landscaper, notching his second major title.
Donnelly used to train in a back-yard gym in Tomakin as well as in his old hometown of Moruya but now has strict training regime six days a week in the nations capital.
He had this message for his friends, family and supporters on the South Coast.
“Thanks everyone for supporting my throughout my whole career,” Donnelly said.
“Over the last eight years, I’ve had messages and calls and from real people who are real friends that I’ve grown up with my whole life that support me and I really do appreciate it and it makes a big difference.”
Images: Eternal – Blake Donnelly
